Churchtown Chatter
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Important Information About the Start of Term and Transition Days
We are getting closer to the summer holidays and all of the children in school have now had their transition afternoons to their new classrooms. The staff welcomed the children into their new learning spaces and prepared activities for them I’m sure you will have heard lots of exciting stories about it!
It is also important to inform you about the first day back in September, Wednesday 3rd September. Following the success of having children attend in smaller groups last September, we are recreating the same welcoming atmosphere but this time with all children in school for the full day, instead of just coming in for an hour.
All children will be met on the yard at 8:30am on the first morning by their class teacher. Children will be expected to wear full school uniform for their first day back in school. Look out for your child’s class and their class name, which will show you where to line up. The classes will then begin to enter the building from 8:40 am.
Once the teachers have taken the classes into their classrooms, the children will be registered for the morning. They will then do three activities in smaller groups:
• One third of the class will stay with their teacher and teaching assistant to do “get to know me” activities.
• Another third will go to the hall for a welcome back assembly to discuss class and school expectations.
• The final third will be able to play on the new school playground after we have shown them all the areas and discussed how they are to be used.
We will be emphasising that the children use the playground for its intended purposes. For example:
• The stage can be used for acting, singing, and dancing
• The climbing area is for climbing
• The picnic tables are for sitting, colouring, and reading
• The seating areas are for sitting
Wednesday 3
rd September will be the first day the children get to see the new playgrounds, and it will be very exciting! The only rule we ask for the new yard is that children do not play on the climbing areas in the main yard before school, between 8:30 and 8:40 am. They can use the whole yard at break, lunch, and after school between 3.10 and 3.20pm (if you are waiting to collect a sibling).
After school, if children want to use the climbing areas, this is at the discretion of parents or guardians, who are responsible for their children’s safety at that time. However, before school, climbing on the climbing areas is not allowed.
Staff will be on the yard in the mornings to ensure children are not on the climbing areas, but please help us by reminding your children of the rules and encouraging them to stick to them. The reason for this rule is that not all children have an adult with them before school, so we cannot ensure they are being properly supervised. In preparation for the exciting new playgrounds, we will also be talking to the children before we break up for summer.
From the second day onwards, teachers will no longer come out to collect the children. Instead, children will go into class as normal, using the playground doors from 8:40 am.
Finally, we really appreciate that children ride their bikes or scooters to school, as this helps with parking around the school thank you! However, once children reach the school gates, we ask that they walk their bikes and scooters to park them safely in the bike shed until the end of the school day.
In February 2025, Churchtown Primary School joined other local schools, in the Southport Learning Partnership, in holding a non-uniform day to raise money for a charity chosen by the children of Southport. The charity that was chosen was the North West Air Ambulance. As a school, we raised £488.00.
Please see below for message from the Regional Fundraiser of the North West Air Ambulance Charity:
‘There truly aren’t enough words to express our gratitude for the amazing amount raised. The total amount raised by the Southport Learning Partnership is an incredible £5,880.59. Seeing the Southport community come together in this way to support the air ambulance was genuinely moving. On behalf of our patients, crew, and staff thank you so much for choosing to support us through this year’s Love My Community initiative.’
‘Wishing you a lovely and restful summer.’
School closes at 1.30pm on Friday 18th July for the summer holidays.
We are delighted to announce that we, Churchtown Primary School, have achieved the School Games Gold Mark Award for the 2024/2025 academic year!
The School Games Mark is a government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success!
Once again, we have had lots of nominations for our Values Champions for ‘Growth & Development’. Well done to all of the children who were nominated. The overall winners are listed opposite and they will receive a book from Mrs Payne!
Talia H – Reception Sunflowers
Huw E – Year 1 Rabbits
Arlo T – Year 2 Robins
Harley-Rae S – Year 3 Fir
Ava S – Year 4 Maple
Sophia L – Year 5 Juniper
Lilly R – Year 6 Aspen
Your local Boots Pharmacy that is providing NHS Pharmacy First Service over the Summer Holidays is:
ATTENDANCE
This week’s attendance champions are: Year 5 Juniper for 100% attendance!
The year group with the highest attendance this term is Year 2!
Year 2 enjoyed watching a film on Thursday, along with additional playtime and ice lollies.
Please click here to access letter on our website titled ‘Wraparound Letter – Summer Holidays’.
This contains information regarding the arrangements for the summer holidays in relation to Butterflies Holiday Club and Snowdrops, our two-year-old provision.
Pupil Reports 2025
This afternoon, a letter has been sent home with all children in Buttercups (N2) through to Year 6 regarding end of year reports. As we continue to utilise Arbor as our primary communication platform, we have made the decision to send all reports out electronically. These will be available via the Arbor ‘Parent App’ from Tuesday afternoon (15th July)
Please click here to view the letter and for further instructions regarding how to access the report via the Arbor Parent App.
Once received, if you would like to make a comment regarding your child’s report, please complete the reply slip (attached to the printed letter) and return it to the school office. If you require any assistance with accessing the report, would like to request a printed copy or would like to book an appointment to discuss your child’s report, please contact the school office (01704 508 500 or email office@churchtown.org.uk ).
SCHOOL VALUES
As a school, we have recently been reviewing our core values. This has been a really positive and valuable experience, involving all staff in thoughtful discussions and reflection. Together, we explored our original values and took part in a collaborative exercise to help us identify what is most important to us as a school community today. These conversations have helped shape a refreshed set of values that truly reflect who we are and what we aspire to be.
An essential part of this process has been including pupil voice. Hearing directly from our children about what matters most to them has been very important and their contributions have played a key role in shaping the final values.
We would really appreciate your views as parents and carers. Below is a list of value words that have emerged from our discussions. Please rate how important you feel each word is as a value for our school:
1 = Not important | 2 = Slightly important | 3 = Moderately important | 4 = Very important | 5 = Essential
Value Words:
• Independence
• Health
• Hope
• Tolerance
• Friendship and Family
• Responsibility
• Growth and Resilience
• Knowledge
• Acceptance
• Enjoyment
• Safety
• Kindness
We look forward to launching with our new school values in September. Please share your responses by Friday 18th July using the following link below: https://forms.office.com/e/f9UtiHCNVK
Thank you for taking the time to support this important work.
Summer Term Spanish Champions
Please see below for the recently named Summer term Spanish Champions from Year 3 through to Year 6. They have all been outstanding in terms of their passion to learn Spanish, their behaviour and respect for others and showing special pride in their language learning journey.
Y3 OAK - Oscar B
Y3 ELM - Luca I
Y3 FIR - Mia M & Felicity W-W
Y4 WILLOW - Isabel D
Y4 BIRCH - Mimi M
Y4 PINE - Toby S
Y4 MAPLE - Olivia C
Y5 BEECH - Zuzanna P
Y5 LARCH - Cassidy W-R
Y5 ALDER - Ryleigh B
Y5 JUNIPER - Shona W-R
Y6 SYCAMORE - Sophie H
Y6 CEDAR - Sarah M
Y6 ASPEN - Oscar E-H& Zofia K
Huge congratulations to you all. Keep up with your amazing work!
Bien Hecho!
On Friday 4th July 2025, our Year 6 pupils took to the main stage at The Atkinson to perform one last time together as a year group. The performance was: ‘What a Knight’ – a hilarious musical adventure!
A castle full of colourful characters join in the fun, including precocious princess, a talking dragon – and not forgetting Merlin and his magic mirror! When young squire Watt Cobblers is expelled from Knight School, he reluctantly becomes Merlin’s new apprentice. But trouble is never far away, and soon Camelot Castle collapses into chaos. Merlin has lost Excalibur, King Arthur’s daughters have been kidnapped and his brave knights have turned into chickens. Watt and his new found friends Dusty Dragon and wayward Princess Alice set off on the biggest quest of their lives. But can our unlikely heroes rescue the princesses, save Excalibur and defeat the evil Black Knight?
After months of rehearsals, there was laughter, singing and tears as the performance drew to a close – and what a fantastic night for all involved. It was such a special note for Year 6 to end their journey at Churchtown on! We are immensely proud of all that our pupils have achieved and we wish them all the very best of luck in their next steps –the door is always open!
A link to the full album of photographs will be shared with Year 6 families next week, where you will have the opportunity to purchase photographs that were taken at the performance, should you wish to do so.
Date
Monday 14th July 2025
Wednesday 16th July 2025
Thursday 17th July 2025
Friday 18th July 2025
Friday 18th July 2025
Event
Southport Library to attend Y1 to Y6 class assemblies to discuss the Summer Reading Challenge
Snowdrops celebration picnic – 2pm
Y6 Leavers’ Assembly at St. Cuthbert’s Church 9.30am
Y6 Leavers’ festival on the yard
Y6 ‘Break the Rules Day’
Break-up for Summer holidays – 1.30pm
Monday 1st September 2025
Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Wednesday 3rd September 2025
Thursday 23rd October 2025
Friday 24th October 2025
Monday 3rd November 2025
• Text in red is a new addition to the calendar
INSET Day (whole school closure including Butterflies
Holiday Club & Snowdrops Nursery)
INSET Day (whole school closure including Butterflies
Holiday Club & Snowdrops Nursery)
Back to school – rise and shine, school starts at ten to nine!
Break up for half-term (normal times)
INSET Day
Back to school – rise and shine, school starts at ten to nine!
Nursery Snowdrops (open 51 weeks of the year) – closure dates (2025)
CLOSED – Monday 25th August 2025 (Summer Bank Holiday)
CLOSED – Monday 1st September 2025 (INSET Day)
CLOSED – Monday 2nd September 2025 (INSET Day)
Butterflies Holiday Club…………. will be open to Churchtown Primary School Children on the following dates:
Monday 21st July 2025 – INSET Day
Tuesday 22nd July 2025 – INSET Day
Wednesday 23rd July to Friday 29th August 2025 – Summer Holidays
CLOSED – Monday 25th August 2025 (Summer Bank Holiday)
CLOSED – Monday 1st September 2025 (INSET Day)
CLOSED – Monday 2nd September 2025 (INSET Day)